Clutch mechanism.



A. c. WEBB. I CLUTCH MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10, 1911.

Patented Jan. 30; 1912.

A. G. WEBB.

CLUTCH MECHANISM.

APPLICATION 1 1L310 JULY 10, 1911.

1,016,052, Patented Jan. 30, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

trNiTEI")- STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT C. WEBB, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO THE WEBB MOTOR FIREAPPARATUS COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

CLUTCH MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 10, 1911.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT C. WEBB, a citizenof the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ClutchMechanism, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention has reference to lever mechanism for controllingthe operation of power driven machinery, and more especially forefiecting the sliding movements of the clutch-shifting collarof a motorvehicle upon the clutch shaft.

It comprehends primarily, an improved lever system comprising a pair ofoperating parts which are connected with each other and with theafore-mentioned collar in such a manner to produce the requisitemovement of the latter when either of said parts is actuated.

A structural embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, whereof:

Figure 1 is a fragmental longitudinal sectional view of an automobilefire engine having said invention applied thereto, the section beingtaken on the line 11 of Fig. 2, Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1, Fig. 3is a detail sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is anenlarged fragmental view of the lever for shifting the sliding gearconstituting one element of the pump actuating mechanism, Fig. 5 is adetail view of the link which connects the hand and footclutch-operating levers, and Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views of the rackswith which the hand-actuated gear-andclutoh operating levers arerespectively associated.

In said drawings, 1 indicates in a general manner the element to bedriven or operated, in the present instance, a force pump, which may beof any preferred construction, and 2 the actuating mechanism therefor,such mechanism including a shiftable gear 3 that is moved into and outof mesh with the main drive gear 4 of the pump through the intermediaryof a lever 5. Gear 3 is slidably mounted on the clutch shaft 6 of thevehicle, preferably upon the squared portion 7 thereof, as shown inFigs. 1 and 3, and has pivotally connected with its hub a depending yoke8 which straddles -the same, and is itself attached to a horizontal rockshaft 9 journaled in suitable ment of said collar.

bearings secured to the side rails 10 andll of the chassis or frame ofthe vehicle.

The lever 5, by means whereof shaft 9 is rocked, is aiiixed to one endof said shaft and is provided with a retaining latch 12 with which thereis associated a rack 13 that is supported by the adjacent rail 10 of thevehicle frame, said latch being preferably formed with a slot 14 throughwhich said rack extends. The rack in question is provided upon its loweredge with a pair of spaced notches 15 and 16 with which the shoulder 17produced by the lower end of the slot is adapted for interchangeableengagement. The movements of the latch are controlled by an operatingrod 18 to whose lower end it is fastened.

The arrangement of the notches 15 and 16 upon rack 13 is such that whenlatch 12 is engaged with the rear notch 15 the shiftable gear 3 will bein mesh with the pump drive gear 4 and will be locked, accordingly, insuch engagement; when, however, said lever is thrown forwardly until itslatch is engaged with front notch 16, said gear 3 will be shifted bodilyout of mesh with gear 4 and will be held in its inoperative position.

Upon the forward portion of the clutch shaft there is disposed a slidingcollar 19 for shifting the shipping member 20 of the main clutch, whichlatter is disposed within the fiy-wheel 21 on the engine shaft 22, as iscustomary, said clutch being of the conventional type and requiring noseparate description. To shift said collar, there is preferably provideda pedal or foot lever 23, and also, a hand lever 24, either ofwhichlevers may be actuated to effect the move- Lever 23 is providedwith a controlling spring of the usual type, (not shown), and issecurely mounted on a sleeve 25 which, in turn, is loosely fitted on ahorizontal rock shaft 26 arranged parallel. with and in advance of shaft9. The hand lever 24 is secured to a sleeve 27 loosely mounted on shaft9 and is equipped with a pawl 28 operated by rod 29 and adapted toengage the teeth of a rack 30 which is located adjacent rack 13 and iscarried by the same bracket as that rack. To this sleeve there is alsosecured a depending arm 31 that is connected by a link 32 with anupstanding arm 33 fast on sleeve 25, the latter element being providedwith a pair of depending arms 3 1 secured to the adjacent side membersof collar 19. The opposite ends of link 32 are forked, and the two legsof the front fork are formed with alining slots 35 which receive theends of a cross-pin 36 carried by arm 33 at its upper end, the lower endof arm 31 carrying a similar pin 37 whose ends are engaged inperforations 38 in the legs of the rear fork of said link.

The parts of the main clutch are normally held in engagement with eachother, as is customary, by means of the controlling spring associatedwith the foot lever 23, which latter must, accordingly, be depressed inorder to separate said parts. hen thus actuated, sleeve 25 will berocked, and the arms 34L secured thereto will be swung rearwardly andwill shift collar 19 in the same direction on the clutch shaft, with aconsequent disengagement of the clutch parts; at the same time, theupper arm 33 will be swung forwardly, but will occasion no movement oflink 32 since its pin 36 will merely travel idly in slots 35. hen thehand lever- 24 is operated to shift collar 19, it is swung rearwardlyinto the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1, whereupon sleeve 27 willbe rocked and arm 31 will swing forwardly and will produce acorresponding endwise movement of link 32 with the result that arm 33will be rocked, as above described.

Means is provided for terminating or braking the rotary movement of theclutch shaft 6 when the clutch parts are separated, and such meansconsists, in the present construction, of a pair of cooperating frictiondisks 39 and l0, of which the latter is secured to the rear end ofcollar 19 and the former to shaft 6, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Thearrangement is such, therefore, that said disks will be caused to engageeach other during the rearward movement of the clutch collar.

In addition to the parts above specified, the car is equipped with theusual brake lever &1 which is secured to shaft 26 and is operated in theusual manner by foot pres- Fig. 1 and its latch engaged in the rearnotch 15 in rack 13, such movement shifting gear 3 on the clutch shaftinto mesh with the driving gear 4. Lever 24-, which has previously beenmoved rearwardly into its dotted line position to uncouple the clutchmembers, is then released or unlocked from its engagement with rack 30and moved into its full line position, thereby coupling the clutchmembers and causing the crank shaft to rotate with the engine shaft. Thepump may subsequently be stopped by either returning lever 24 to itsdotted line position or depressing the foot lever 23 as alreadydescribed, the rearward movement of the clutch collar bringing itsfriction disk 10 into engagement with disk 39 and terminating therotation of the crank shaft. The shiftable gear 3 may then be moved outof mesh with gear 4 by operating lever 5 in the manner hereinabovestated.

What is claimed is:

V 1. The combination, with a driving part, a driven part, and a clutchconnecting said parts and including a movable shipping member; of amember slidable on the driven part and connected to said shipping memberfor operating the same; a foot lever; means connecting the foot leverwith said sliding member; a hand lever; and a link pivotally connectedat one end with said hand lever and having a pinand-slot connection atits other end with said foot lever, whereby said sliding member may beoperated from either of said levers.

2. The combination, with a driving part, a driven part, and a clutchconnecting said parts and including a movable shipping member; of amember slidable on the driven part and connected to said shipping memberfor operating the same; a foot lever, means connecting the foot leverwith said sliding member; a hand lever; and a link pivotally connectedat one end with said hand lever and having a lost-motion connection atits other end. with said foot lever, whereby said sliding member may beoperated from either of said levers.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

ALBERT C. WEBB.

WVitnesses R. M. JAMES, LOTTIE M. Fox.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

